The Deep Time Trilogy: The True Master
by pammazola
Summary: The Final Installment of the Deep Time Trilogy. Post-canon, Sengoku Jidai. Sesshomaru and Rin are expecting a pup to join their pack, but Fate has other plans. Now Rin is alone, and must find the strength within herself to save her beloved husband.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Inuyasha**_**, or the tale of **_**Susanoo and Orochi**_**.**

**Dedication: This one is for DivineRose91, who requested I write a sequel to **_**Alpha. **_**As a result, I decided to combine my previous one-shots, **_**Just Pretend **_**and **_**Alpha**_**, to create **_**The Deep Time ****Trilogy**_**with this as the last book in the series. Thanks for the inspiration, Rose!**

**HEADS UP: Mature content and violence**

**The True Master**

**Part I**

"Careful, Sessho."

The daiyoukai growled.

"I am trying, mate. This requires immense physical and psychological restraint." She heard his fangs gnash together harshly.

"Maybe I should just sleep alone tonight…"

His grip on her became iron tight.

"_NO_."

Rin smiled into his naked shoulder. Neither of them had a shred of clothing on. Sesshomaru most preferred his female completely exposed and submissive if she were to come to his bed. And until recently, their nights of love-making had been incredibly satisfying for the both of them. Now such activities must cease: Rin was pregnant with his pup, and Sesshomaru wasn't widely known for being… gentle, despite how much he tried. It was the demon in him, he knew, and Rin was so fragile now, and the idea of going another month or two without sex did not seem particularly challenging to him. However, the sight of Rin, even now that her belly bulge stretched smooth, creamy skin, and her breasts became plump with nurturing milk, Sesshomaru had to turn away and hide the agonizing want that made his eyes bleed a deep crimson red.

Rin was flattered he still found her desirable after five months of pregnancy. Her alpha had insisted they continue these late night sessions until, reluctantly, she put her foot down.

"It's for the safety of the pup," she snapped.

"He is of a demon sire," Sesshomaru had counter-argued, "My aura enclosed within your womb should protect him from most outside penetrations."

She sighed sadly.

"Maybe so, but I'm still human, Sessho. My frame just isn't as strong as a demoness'."

He'd had no way of denying this, and she knew it. So, for the first night since they'd mated, Sesshomaru slept with his back to her.

Rin found his little temper tantrum very adorable, and on the second night, after he'd stumbled with a sincere apology, had allowed him to touch her, but nothing more than that.

"We will always be one," she'd murmured, bringing her face to his. "I promise."

Slowly, he'd nodded.

"Always."

But this night was more difficult than most. Sesshomaru was in heat, and despite Rin's warnings and words of encouragement, his instincts couldn't help but test just far he could push his luck.

Before she could protest, he moved swiftly, hovering over her, caressing her belly with strong hands while balancing on his knees. His molten amber gaze slid down to the creation of their love, allowing himself to grin briefly before leaning over to give his mate a kiss on her trembling mouth.

"_Maaattte_," he purred, "Your alpha is pleased. He will ensure that you bear him many, many strong pups." His lips came down to brush over her belly.

Rin tried to keep her breath even, though it was very difficult to restrain someone like Sesshomaru while he was touching her in this way. No! He _wasn't… _he _was _using those large, beautiful amber eyes to seduce her. And his bottom lip! Only _she _was allowed to do the puppy-dog pout! No fair! He was cheating…!

Despite how much the demon within him wished to take her, mingle their breath together, taste her… he wouldn't. Not only because he shouldn't for the sake of his heir, but Rin did not wish it. Her happiness was what he lived for. If loving her meant losing everything else, he'd willingly suffer eternally. Without her, there was no purpose.

Still, it was _very _fun to tease her the way he was. Hot lips crusaded down her stomach…

~oOo~

Rin awoke the following morning, greatly satisfied.

She knew she should've been angry. He'd come extremely close to persuading her to throw complete caution to the wind, forget needless worrying… If her voice hadn't gone hoarse from last night's occurrences, perhaps she would've scolded him as he rose from their bed to dress. The superior smirk in his eyes told her everything without him needing to breathe a word: _You see? You are mated to a good alpha. I too can restrain myself._

Yes, he hadn't done anything _bad_ technically…

Rin's heart bubbled with happiness. Of course she could trust him! He'd never take advantage of her!

She sat up and smiled lazily at him. He appeared nonchalant and indifferent to the brightness of her gaze, busying himself tying the obi around his waist. She admired the smooth white fabric that rippled over his skin, distinctly shaping to the lean, dagger-like build of his body. Pride swelled Rin's chest at the sight of him.

Sesshomaru strode gracefully towards her, gripping her little hands in his larger ones, and brought her to a stand beside him. Briefly, he admired her – still so very small in comparison to him – and nuzzled her neck before beginning to dress her.

Rin had insisted she could do this herself, she wasn't incapable of it, but Sesshomaru ignored such protests. In truth, he enjoyed it, knowing that what lay beneath thick layers of kimono had been touched by none but his eyes only. Occasionally he rejoiced in how very selfish he was, coveting this beautiful woman all to himself. _All to himself._

The kimono was embroidered with the markings of the Western Lady, white like his own attire, and stitched with the elaborate flower designs Rin was particularly fond of. He helped her pile long brown tresses atop her head, carefully weaving the pink sakura combs gently in place.

He took a step back. Rin, smiling, placed her hands around her middle and did a quick spin for him until he finally decided she looked _perfect_. He then growled his satisfaction, and offered his hand to help her walk to the dining hall (once again, she could do this herself, and then quickly realized there would be no use arguing with him. Was he trying to pamper her spoiled?).

It was throughout the morning meal, which she ate with the dignity of a true noblewoman, and later as he oversaw the saddling of Ah-Un and Hoshi, Rin's unicorn (**A/N: See Book 2 for **_**THAT **_**story**), did it dawn on Sesshomaru: his mate had grown up.

Only a year ago, before he'd claimed her, the dog demon could vividly recall how the human girl would run barefooted through open grassy fields, skirts hitched high above her knees; her hair had hung long and free down to her waist. And her eyes were mischievous, always, daring him to pick up the chase. She used to cry so easily, dream so openly, and laugh with all her heart. It wasn't that Rin didn't do all those things now, but she carried herself with an air that was much more… mature, as if she really had been born with the blood of royalty.

She appeared beside him.

"When are we leaving, Sesshomaru-sama?"

It had been a very long time since she'd last addressed him with an honorific. He frowned at the usage. They were beyond formalities now.

He encircled her waist with long arms.

"As soon as the imp finishes brushing Hoshi for you."

She grinned.

"I can't wait! It's been so long since I last saw Edo. I miss it dearly. Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama."

"Hn."

It wasn't he thought it bothersome having to haul Rin across the country, just so she could spend the following day chattering away with the miko and demon slayer. She had taken towards the two of them recently. And certainly the journey itself will have little if any effect on him. He'd spent many years wandering Japan, before Rin ever came into his life; only once they'd mated did he agree to settle down and start a family.

No, it was, of course, his brother.

Just because Sesshomaru had ceased trying to exterminate the half-breed didn't mean he necessarily had to _love _the mongrel. Nor would he try. The feudal fire that sparked between the two dog demons had been fed and fanned with an undying hatred that spanned nearly two hundred years. Little would change when the either of them refused to admit who was truly at fault.

And so, these visits to Edo were always strained.

Like the last time…

~oOo~

"More tea, Rin?" Miroku asked.

She smiled fondly at the monk and held out her cup.

"How is Sango handling her pregnancy?" taking a sip.

"Oh fine, fine!" he grinned broadly, downing his own cup. "Number six should be yet another success!"

"Kami," Kagome muttered, shaking her head, "The poor girl spends more time pregnant than not." She stretched out on her futon, "If I didn't know any better, Miroku, I would've thought you were part inuyoukai or something, you have so many children!"

He regarded them seriously.

"Just you wait, my ladies, once your husbands decide to start reproducing, there will be little if any opportunity for the two of you to engage yourselves in much else." His expression became wistful. "If I_ was _an inuyoukai…"

"Sango would still smack you around," Kagome said flatly, earning a giggle from Rin.

"Speaking of your mates," he asked, "Where are they?"

A heavy silence fell on the trio. Kagome suddenly became interested with the tea leaves at the bottom of her cup.

"Well," Rin said, "Um, the last I saw of them, they were talking near the Shinto."

Miroku seemed impressed.

"It's been… what, an hour? And the village is still standing? Maybe there is hope."

The girls grinned sheepishly at each other.

"I don't know… EEK!"

Before any of them had the opportunity to clear out the way, Inuyasha's body came crashing through the wooden roof of the hut, destroying the wicker furniture that collapsed into rubble beneath him. Groaning loudly, the hanyou hopped back on his feet.

"_Is that all you got?_" he shouted at the sky. His voice cracked slightly. He quickly drew Tessaiga.

"INUYASHA!" Kagome fumed.

"It's all HIS fault, I swear!" the hanyou snapped at her. "Stay out of this!" With that he leaped back through the hole in which he'd fallen through.

"_Baka…"_ his mate sighed, her temple throbbing. "That's the fifth repair he's gonna have to do on that roof!"

"Kagome," Rin grasped her shoulder. "I'm _so _sorry! If I had thought they'd still be fighting… EEK!"

A second, larger figure came crashing through the ceiling. Instead of falling flat on his back, Sesshomaru landed gracefully beside his mate, brushing away the light flecks of debris that sprinkled her hair with gentle fingers. He nodded once at the stunned looks of the monk and priestess.

"_SESSHOMARU!_" Rin stood with hands planted firmly on her hips. "I thought you said you were going to spend some brotherly bonding time with Inuyasha?"

He stared at her with a quiet demeanor.

"I said no such thing, mate." He reached out and brushed back her bangs. "Excuse this Sesshomaru, he has unfinished business to attend to."

"Sessho…" Rin warned, "You _DO _realize you've put _TWO _holes in Kagome's roof?"

"Hn," he surveyed the damage with a speculative frown. "Very well, I will refrain from tossing the half-breed any farther than the village limits." He withdrew Bakusaiga from its sheath with a small flourish. "Enjoy your tea, Rin." He leaped back through the roof. "_Little Brother…_"

~oOo~

Since then, there hadn't been any unnecessary visits.

It wasn't she didn't have faith that Sesshomaru could behave himself, if that were the case, she would've never prompted for this journey, despite how much she missed Edo. Rather, she feared he would grow bored and irritable, hence more prone to losing his temper with his half-brother. Sesshomaru hated being provoked into fighting, especially when it worked.

Jaken appeared then, leading Ah-Un and Hoshi by their reins.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Rin-sama!" Lately, the imp had taken to using the proper honorific with the girl he had raised since her early childhood. It suited her well.

He bowed deeply.

"Everything has been prepared?" the daiyoukai inquired, pulling away from Rin to look the animals over. Normally, Sesshomaru would've flown them to Edo, however Rin was eager to show off Hoshi to all her village friends, and since he was uncomfortable leaving the pregnant woman alone on the ground, he'd settled for riding Ah-Un.

"Hai, Milord."

"Very well, then we must leave if we wish to make good time." He turned his amber gaze back to the imp, suddenly becoming very cold. "You can ensure this Sesshomaru you will oversee his lands with strict authority during his absence, _correct Jaken?_"

Contrarily, Jaken was already envisioning himself alone in the enchanted hot springs that flowed undisturbed through the palace gardens. He was never permitted to use them.

"Hai, Milord!"

Sesshomaru easily scooped his mate up and propped her on the unicorn's back.

"Are you certain you can ride alone?" The concern that colored his voice made her smile.

"Yes," she kissed his crescent moon. "I love you, Sessho."

He stared at her a long moment.

"And I love you, as well."

~oOo~

Her whimpers of discomfort made the daiyoukai grin slightly, but he hid his emotions well.

It wasn't her fault, really. Rin _was _considerably larger since she'd last ridden Hoshi. Though he was a gentle beast and well accustomed to the mountainous terrain of Japan, he was unused to Rin's heavier weight, and occasionally misjudged his footfalls. Sesshomaru had taken to holding Hoshi's reins, leading him closely alongside Ah-Un. Rin rubbed her sore back, smiling weakly at him.

So far, the world had remained at peace, mostly due to the fact that a dangerous predator demon would frequently flare his aura to span over the vicinity in nearly a fifty kilometer radius, daring anyone to approach. Judging by the position of the sun, which just peaked over the tall mountains, it was midday. Sesshomaru calculated they would reach Edo perhaps an hour after night would fall, that is, if they maintained a steady pace without any complications. He glanced back at his mate, which he did often, and saw she was fiddling with a ring of flowers. She must have picked and hid them in her kimono before they left. He redirected his gaze ahead.

Ah-Un grumbled, both his heads turning to look up at his rider with intelligent eyes. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at him. He hadn't considered the dragon might sense something he'd overlooked; but whatever threat there might be, it would quickly catch his scent and leave. Deciding it was unnecessary to alert the others, he nudged the dragon sharply with the heels of his boots. Ah-Un humphed, but continued on.

"Sesshomaru, something's wrong with Hoshi."

Rin's voice pierced through the air, destroying the silence that had enveloped them for hours. Sure enough, as Sesshomaru looked back at her, the unicorn was obviously distressed. Unlike Ah-Un, Hoshi couldn't maintain a cool demeanor. His first instinct told him to run, _fast_, but Sesshomaru's iron-grip on his reins held him steady. The daiyoukai glared at the white horned horse, which now trotted alongside him with flared nostrils and wide rolling eyes. Rin began running a hand through his silver mane, muttering sympathies in his ears.

Then he screamed.

The ear-rattling, mind-splitting cry of fear from the unicorn's mouth startled Rin, almost unseating her hadn't Sesshomaru been there. He leaped from Ah-Un, easily maintaining possession of Hoshi even as he fought and thrashed his head to free himself. Sesshomaru's voice called out to him, harsh and commanding, ordering submission. Hoshi let out another scream; his eyes dilated and zeroed in on an area ahead of them.

Ah-Un growled loudly, taking up a defensive stance as the threat emerged from the partings of the trees.

It was a hydra.

Sesshomaru scoffed at the sight of it, taking in its large, scaly heads, eight in all; he had counted, with complimentary tails that sliced through the air. Its long spiny necks were pulled upright, eyes trained on them, unwavering, ready to strike.

No wonder Sesshomaru had overlooked the beast; he had had all his senses trained on detecting demons, not monsters. He looked down at Rin, who was staring at the eight-headed serpent with a look of pure terror. The daiyoukai sighed. This would be finished too quickly for him to consider it much of a challenge.

He withdrew Bakusaiga from its sheath, looked Rin over once more to make sure she was alright, and promptly charged at the hydra with only half of his capable speed and succeeded in slicing off three of its heads in a single stroke. They dissolved into thick black smoke almost instantly. Sesshomaru twirled the blade once by its hilt, and off-handedly decapitated the remaining five with two flicks of his wrist. He watched, unimpressed, as its body tremble and quiver upon the ground at his feet.

"Pathetic," he murmured, wiping the creature's blood from Bakusaiga, placing it back at his hip. "Let's go, Rin."

"Um, Sessho?" She was looking behind him with wide eyes.

He frowned, turning to look back at the dead hydra.

The body continued to squirm upon the ground but, to his astonishment, the bleeding had ceased. It rose onto shaky legs.

_What the hell?_

Its heads were growing back! One by one, as the black smoke was carried away on the currents of the wind, the severed stumps of their necks each sprouted a new head. Sesshomaru watched, intrigued, and as they hissed and snapped their jaws, eight pairs of angry red eyes bore down on him.

_Interesting_ the daiyoukai mused. He lifted the sword again and hacked off another head. Within seconds it had reassembled itself. Rin whimpered from somewhere behind him.

_Hn. As much as I would genuinely like to take this opportunity to experiment with you, _Sesshomaru thought, aiming Bakusaiga for the death plunge into the hydra's soft underbelly, _I really must keep us to schedule. My mate suffers from fatigue. _He lunged.

The hydra, which had quickly learned his techniques, swiftly maneuvered his large reptilian frame out of the way, deflecting the blade with one sharp talon. Sesshomaru, amused, spun in place to stab at the monster's opposite side. This failed, as the eight sets of eyes could follow his every move, no matter from which angle he came from.

He hesitated.

Odd, why wasn't it attacking him?

"_SESSHOMARU-SAMA!_"

He whipped around to answer the shrilled scream of his name.

"Rin!"

Evidently, the heads were only trying to distract him. Somehow, without Sesshomaru realizing, one of the eight tails had slithered its way past him and grasped Hoshi around his middle, dragging both the unicorn and Rin into the darkness of the forest behind his large body. Ah-Un, who was a lot smaller than the hydra, bit and clawed at the tail ravishingly with little success.

Sesshomaru lashed out at the offending limb, instantly freeing his mate. The serpent snarled but didn't pull back, instead extending two of its long necks to reach for Rin. She yelped, wrapping her arms protectively around her middle. Sesshomaru placed his arms around her waist and leaped into the canopy above.

"It wants the pup," he said, resting her on the highest branch of a sturdy oak. He glanced down, noticing that Hoshi was gone, while Ah-Un had opened his jaws to release bursts of fire, though the hydra hardly seemed to notice as it encircled the base of the tree.

"Hn…" he growled, covering Rin's body as much as he could with his own. "This is getting ridiculous."

"What are we going to _do?_" Rin wailed, wincing at the sight of the serpent disappearing in and out of her vision. She clung to Sesshomaru's kimono with white fists.

He frowned in speculation, the golden eyes calmly analyzing their situation. He would quickly kill the hydra if_ he only knew HOW. _Sesshomaru knew precious little about mythical creatures, much less hydras. Typically they stayed out of a demon's path, but the aura wrapped around Rin must have scented as a delightful, easy meal. What the eight-headed serpent was capable of; Sesshomaru had not the slightest clue. The monster wasn't stupid, he could tell that much. Instead of outright attacking, he'd planned on distracting him long enough to snatch up Rin, and it had very nearly worked.

Rin, out of the two of them, was in the most danger.

That decided him. Sesshomaru reached for the other sword at his hip. She gaped when he offered it to her.

"Take Tenseiga," he ordered, holding out the fang. She gave him a blank look.

"You are my mate," he explained, "Tenseiga will choose to protect you. _Take it_," more forcefully.

"But Sesshomaru-sama - !"

He growled menacingly.

"This Sesshomaru has not the time to argue. You will take my sword _now _if you value the life of the pup you carry."

She grasped the sheath with two trembling hands.

"But what of you, Milord?"

He snorted.

"This Sesshomaru faces no danger." It wasn't really a lie. Something as trivial as hydra would have difficulty defeating a powerful daiyoukai. He stepped off the branch, watching as he fell lightly back to the earth Rin's look of distress, she knew that her mate was entering something completely foreign to anything he'd ever endured before. Sesshomaru chuckled softly as he landed.

"So you want to _fight?_" he asked the hydra, who'd paused in his circling to stand to his full height, which was much taller than the daiyoukai's, and all eight heads hissed in unison.

He was an unsightly beast, Sesshomaru observed, crouching low to the ground as he maneuvered his way around the hydra, swaying his sword to and fro, searching for where he might find a weak point. The tail he'd chopped off had regenerated itself. That technique was already frustrating him. There _had _to be a way to kill him. Sesshomaru would find it, even if he must shred the creature beyond recognition to achieve it.

"Sesshomaru, look out!"

Rin's warning came in the nick of time; he turned to see the four tails coming at him from behind. He swung Bakusaiga, slicing each of them, but only to see they regenerated again. The hydra, taking on a different tactic when he realized trickery wasn't working, lunged for him.

Sesshomaru easily sidestepped him, running his blade down the length of the hydra's torso as he passed. One of its head's managed to snag his kimono on its fang, pulling the surprised daiyoukai off his feet. Sesshomaru clawed at the serpent's face to free himself, carving thin lines of green poison that caused the serpent to wither in agony. The head dispersed; once the new one had sprouted, shrieked viciously.

The hydra lashed out at Ah-Un, who had been trying to engage him into a fight as well. The two-headed dragon quickly backed away, eyeing the serpent fearfully.

Eight sets of bared fangs turned on Sesshomaru.

The battle that ensued was perhaps the most pointless he had ever engaged himself in.

He couldn't win.

It made no difference how often he chopped off the heads, they simple grew back. He tried to wear the beast to exhaustion, with seemingly little success. The hydra just kept coming back, eager for blood. Once Sesshomaru had even managed to pierce his chest, thinking this would settle the issue, only to widen his eyes in astonishment as the hydra clawed the blade from himself with mild agitation. Bakusaiga was a demon sword; did that mean it had little effect on him?

It was pointless, but Sesshomaru continued to fight anyway.

And then he saw Rin.

"_What the hell?_"

How had she climbed out that tree? Ah-Un, that damn dragon! Sesshomaru, trying to keep her within his line of vision, sliced off the middle heads.

"_STUPID GIRL!_" he roared, "_What are you DOING, Rin?_"

"I want to help you!" She tried to hold down her fear, more so of his tone of voice than the hydra. Maybe if she distracted the hydra long enough Sesshomaru could find a way to kill it. That is, until the serpent turned on her, eyes eager, talons extended, and Rin quickly realized he was right, this plan was stupid, _very _stupid of her. She cowered back behind the trees.

Sesshomaru lifted Bakusaiga; its blade began emitting the radiating blue sheerness of his demonic aura. The hydra paused, midstride, and looked back at him with great interest at this sudden display of incredibly immense power. Rin gasped, her hair whipped backward from the mere force of it.

The radiance shot skyward, breaking through the clouds, twisting into a blazing mass channel of energy that crackled and jagged into points of fiery white lightning, seething, altering into a more distinctly defined form.

"_**SOURYUUHA!"**_

The word burst forth from his lips; the power surged at core of his being into the long blue blade, extending into it with a violent thrust to unleash the Dragon Strike.

Rin was thrown airborne.

Her screams were lost in the wind current; her body was tossed upward like a ragdoll only to be sent spiraling back to the ground. Anticipating the pain, she closed her eyes.

She hit the ground… uninjured.

Sesshomaru had been correct. The Tenseiga _would _protect Rin: When she collided with the earth, the fang emitted a thin, translucent shield to wrap itself snuggly around her body. As the trees and other large portions of wilderness was thrown up and scattered like rubbish, none of it could so much as touch her.

The lightning bore down on the hydra. Sesshomaru stepped back, scrutinizing the eight-headed figure with dismay.

_Impossible._

The hydra had opened all his jaws wide _and was swallowing the souryuuha._

_Impossible._

His lightning vanished, slithering down the long necks of the serpent. The beast himself appeared untouched, unscathed by the attack.

_Nothing _could withstand the souryuuha.

Sesshomaru glowered, yet awestruck, unprepared and unwilling to accept what was to happen next.

The serpent raised himself high onto muscular hind legs and unleashed the Dragon Strike.

He was engulfed by his own attack.

~oOo~

"_SESSHOMARU!" _Rin broke through the trees, making a run for where the daiyoukai had disappeared. The hydra redirected himself, jaws wide, and the last of the souryuuha was shot out at her.

"_NO!_" she cried viciously, swinging the Tenseiga so its sheath rebound Bakusaiga's attack back at the bewildered serpent. This action occurred much too quickly for the hydra to realize the weak human girl had just thrown the most powerful youki in the world back at him. With a futile effort to escape, the hydra too, was engulfed.

"_NO!_" The Dragon Strike had dispersed almost instantly. Rin began searching through the mass destruction that was left of the forest. Nothing had withstood the attack, nothing… aside from herself.

"_SESSHOMARU!_" Her eyes scanned the ground; the heart beating from within her chest could be heard in her own ears. The sound of her voice was so far away. "_SESSHOMARU! WHERE ARE YOU?_" She had watched the hydra be blown to oblivion; an icy fear that the same had happened to her mate gave her a sudden rush of adrenaline. Rin dropped Tenseiga and began digging through the debris in desperation. Her hands became bloody and bruised, but that didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Nothing mattered without him.

He had to be here. He must. He must!

"_SESSHOMARU! SESSHOMARU! SESSHOMARU!_" It was useless. He was gone. Rin collapsed onto her knees, slicing them on fragment and splinters of the trees, but she barely felt the pain over the one that was slowly tearing her apart on the inside.

He was gone.

"_NO!_" she gasped, gripping her child, _their child_. The tears threatened to overflow and stain her cheeks. She started to reach for the Tenseiga, the only other thing she had left of him. What was left of him…

No, she wasn't going to give up! He had to be here… somewhere! She'd find him!

"_SESSHOMARU!_" She'd call his name to the high heavens if that were the only way to reach him. Would he answer her? "_SESSHOMARU! SESSHO - !_"

The Tenseiga pulsed.

She fell silent instantly, turning to look at it with mild astonishment. Was the vision that her blurred, red-rimmed eyes deceiving, or… was the fang… calling her?

If anything had seemed normal that day she would've said it was impossible. The sword wouldn't possibly work for a human. She knew the Tenseiga recognized only one master, and that was Sesshomaru.

Only Sesshomaru…

"Take me to him!"

She snatched up the pulsing sword; her excitement beginning to climb with it.

"Where is he? _Where is he? _Sesshomaru!"

"Rin…"

Was that his voice, or the Tenseiga? Both?

"Where are you?" she whimpered. The fang had grown warm to touch, beating in time with the rapid pace of the heart within her chest.

"Can't… move…" he answered dimly. The tears finally fought their way out, streaming down to soil her clothes.

"Just tell me where you are!"

"Ah-Un…"

Rin snapped her head up to see the dragon hovering overhead.

"AH-UN!" she called. He landed nearby with a loud groan, his eyes gazing around at the scenery sorrowfully. Rin ran to him, tripping over the hem of her kimono, but remained uninjured. Tenseiga was clung to her side tightly with pale white hands. The dragon was focusing on something in the rubble.

"Where…?"

Then she saw him.

"SESSHOMARU!"

Rin tossed the fang aside and began digging. The daiyoukai, pressed flat on his back by the weight of the heavy debris, didn't make a move to assist her. Amber eyes watched Rin's attempts to lift the large trees off him.

"Be careful…"

"Don't you DARE tell ME to be careful!"

"The pup…" Even in this condition, he thought of the child.

"I'll worry about him! Ah-Un, help me!"

After the dragon carefully clawed him out of the rubble, Sesshomaru, finally fully exposed to Rin's vision, looked a disaster.

He had been successful in avoiding the worst part of the souryuuha, but to emerge unscathed from such a blow was utterly futile. Lightning cuts criss-crossed over his body. The extravagant noble's robes he wore had been torn to rags, barely concealing the ruined works that was left of his body. Even his face, so elegant, the most beautiful thing in Rin's world, now suffered from a single streak of a bloody wound that stretched from his lower jaw to the inside corner of his right eye. It continued to bleed feverishly.

She cried harder – just the sight of him! – and collapsed upon his broad chest to cover him with as much of herself as she could. Her fingers ran through his silvery hair, she caressed the curve of his cheek, and kissed his lips with as much vigor as she could.

A growl came from within the demon, causing him to wince at the sharp pain of it.

"Rin… you're… hurting… me…"

She pushed herself away quickly, beginning to hyperventilate.

"I need to get help."

"I don't think…"

"AH-UN!" she shouted again. He raised his heads.

"Go… go find Kagome!" The miko was the only person she could think that grew healing herbs. "Get Kagome and Inuyasha! Hurry!"

He took to the sky in the direction of Edo, his bellows of despair echoed across the desolated landscape.

The daiyoukai gave an agonizingly stabbing sigh. His lungs felt bruised and bleeding.

"I don't know… what happened." He looked into her face and Rin saw the glowing supremacy of his radiating amber eyes falter. "Did I… kill him?"

Rin blinked, knowing he meant the hydra.

"Yes," she whispered softly, "Yes, you killed him, Love. You saved me."

He had the urge to kiss her then, and made a motion to sit upright, however as hard as he tried, Sesshomaru couldn't force the works of his body to listen to him without subduing to the pain.

Rin dug into the folds of her kimono, finding her small water canteen. She quickly uncapped it and pressed the opening to his lips.

"Drink."

He tried; his thirst was powerful, though when she tilted the bottle for him the water simply slid down his chin, soaking the rags of his ruined kimono.

"Rin," he murmured, the lids of his eyes began to droop. Never before had he felt so tired.

The hard sting of Rin's hand cracked across his face.

"Stay with me, Sesshomaru! If I let you sleep now you might…" She shook her head viciously at the thought. "Stay awake!" She had already thought she'd lost him forever once already; he couldn't – _he wouldn't _– leave her now! There was no way she'd let him!

"Tired," he murmured, pressing his face into the dirt. "So… tired. Never… felt this way…" It was becoming difficult for him to speak when the air within his lungs pierced him like a million daggers. He coughed once, spitting out a thick sheen of blood. "Tired…"

"Shut up," Rin whispered fiercely, running her hand through his hair. "Be quiet. Help is coming. Kagome will know how to…" How to what? Heal him? Sesshomaru had much more than just a couple scratches. He'd been hit by his own Dragon Strike, a powerful force that should've torn him to pieces. He was lucky to have escaped with internal bleeding; possibly he'd broken a large part of his body frame, and worse, the incredibility of it all had somehow twisted his mind into what Rin feared to be insanity.

"Just hang on, Sesshomaru. You'll be fine. You'll _be fine_!" It sounded like a lie even to her. The look on his face told her plainly he wasn't convinced, either. How could he be fine? Did such a word even exist? Looking at the once stoic, confident, extravagant demon lord that was her mate, that was the father of her unborn pup, it seemed nothing in this world could ever be god damn _fine _again!

"I love you."

He didn't respond, only stared right through where she sat beside him. His breath began to slow.

"I love you, Sesshomaru!" Rin grabbed his shoulders, trying to shake him awake. "Please, _please_… don't leave me! Don't leave me, Sesshomaru!"

~oOo~

Rin had cried herself to sleep.

When the daiyoukai didn't speak again, when he had stopped moving altogether, she released her grip on him and fell to his side, molding herself to fit in the curve of his body, when it use to be so warm.

"We will always be one," she murmured to him, "I promise."

Now she waited for his reply of:

"Always."

It never came.

**A/N: Just a reminder, this story **_**does **_**have a good ending. In my world, Sessho and Rin **_**must **_**live happily ever after, the key world being **_**live**_**.**

**Please review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or the tale of Susanoo and Orochi.**

**The True Master**

**Part II**

_I'm dead._

Or, at least, Rin thought she was.

She knew something had to be amiss, because Sesshomaru wasn't there. Slender fingers began to wander, groping, searching desperately for the long, warm body that was supposed to be beside her. Finding nothing, she pulled back and curled into a tight ball, her eyes refusing to open and look at what her hands tried to tell her.

_I'm dead. I'm dead. I'm dead. Oh no, he must be mourning for me now…_ She thought of her mate, and strong guilt began trembling out of the small frame of her body. _Oh, Sessho, I'm so sorry! How could I do this to you?_ They had promised to never leave each other, even after death. Surely he hated her now.

_Stupid Rin! _She screamed to herself. _Stupid Rin! Why did I have to die?_

But if she were truly dead… why was she feeling so much _pain?_

A loud voice jerked Rin out of her thoughts.

"Kagome! Inuyasha!"

It was the monk. What was he doing here?

He spoke again, barely intelligible through his heavy panting.

"I came as soon as Sango told me! Is everything okay?"

There was a moment of prolonged silence, and then a deep, rumbling growl cut through the air.

"_No._"

Was that Inuyasha?

A series of rapid footsteps could be heard.

"Miroku!" Kagome wailed.

His voice went too low for Rin to hear what was being said, but he was obviously trying to comfort the miko.

A few minutes later:

"Where is she?"

"In our room. We have no other place to keep her." Kagome moved across the hut – Rin realized, that was indeed where she was – and several dishes clattered together loudly. "Have some dinner, Miroku."

"Does she know what happened?" he asked, following her.

"Inuyasha said she was unconscious when he got there. About half that forest was just… destroyed." Her voice cracked slightly with emotion. "I wonder what could've done it."

Miroku seemed to hesitate.

"May – may I see him?"

There was another deafening growl, followed by the bone-rattling shatter of dishes. A table must've been overturned.

"HELL NO!" the hanyou snapped, and the sound of metal sliding against a sheath rang throughout the air. "Damn it if you think I'm going to let you observe him like… like some kind of _animal!_"

"Calm down!" Kagome warned. "You'll wake Rin. Put Tessaiga away. _Now_."

A moment of silence.

"OSUWARI!"

"Humph!" as he hit the floor.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said grimly, "I didn't mean anything disrespectful. I know he was your brother…"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Rin could hear him climbing to his feet, "I don't want your sympathies! Yeah, he was my HALF-brother, but this has NOTHING to do with me! Rin…" His tone lowered, "Rin is his mate. She decides who gets to see him."

"Oh, Inuyasha!" Kagome made a move to embrace him, "Oh, you really do care for him! You really do!"

"Get off me," he murmured angrily, "You don't see me crying that bastard a river."

"He hasn't fully accepted it yet," Miroku observed aloud, "You're still in shock, Inuyasha."

The hanyou laughed harshly at that last statement.

"Not accepting of it, huh? Really, because it sure as hell seems to me like I'm the only one who can cope with the fact that Sesshomaru is dead."

~oOo~

Days went by.

Rin refused to leave the dark little room within the miko's hut.

"_Please_," Kagome begged, lifting the quilts off of her, "C'mon Rin-chan. You have to get up."

The young woman merely stared up at her.

"Rin, think about the pup!"

Still no response.

"At least talk to me, Rin."

She hadn't breathed a word since that fateful day.

When Kagome had finally given up, defeated yet again, and the door slid quietly closed behind her, only then did she allowed herself to weep.

She didn't cry nearly as often as at first. Nor were her heart-wrenching sobs loud enough to bring the rest of the world back to her bedside. It seemed nearly everyone had been there to check on her already: Kagome, Miroku; gentle Sango, and even the herb physician, Jinenji had braved the journey to Edo for an inspection of her well-being. He'd stated in his first visit that she was in near perfect health. Psychologically, there was no herb that could cure the ache of a broken heart.

The hanyou patted her head.

"Rin-sama, be strong. If you loved him – LOVED him – you'd already understand he wouldn't want you to live this way."

That had taken Rin aback. Always, when someone came to visit her, they purposefully avoided any mentioning of Sesshomaru. It was as if they had already written the daiyoukai completely out their lives, perhaps maybe he had never existed in the first place. They only begged her to leave her room, to acknowledge what was in the best interest for the pup. Jinenji was the first and only to even suggest what Sesshomaru would've wanted. Her opinion of the horse hanyou grew for the better.

Miroku and Sango each had been very supportive during this whole ordeal. Everyday, along with their six children, they came to the hut. Miroku had forbidden them to enter, and so frequently on these days Rin could hear the ringing squeals of laughter and happiness that emitted from the little ones as they ran and played together outside.

The demon slayer would spend at least an hour with her in the dark, just holding her hand, and Rin was grateful. Sango understood the feeling to lose everything that ever mattered, or reasons to keep on living. Words weren't needed for the silent communication of familiar connection that the two women shared. Miroku often came after his wife. His voice, gentle, so nervous that in any other situation Rin would've laughed at him, filled the dark empty void that lingered upon them. Literally, he spoke the _entire time_. This too Rin was grateful for. If it satisfied him enough to hear himself talk, without any contribution on her part, then he could chatter the night away for all she cared.

One day they had arrived at the hut and spoke of someone special that had come to see her. Briefly, Rin let her spirits lift, which had been very foolish of her. So was everything alright now? Was he here to take her home…?

The lone silhouette that appeared in the doorway was obviously human.

She sagged back into her pillows, the small flicker of hope inside her extinguished.

"Rin," he said.

She blinked in astonishment, before she could stop herself:

"Kohaku-kun?"

The young man kneeled by her bedside. His uncanny resemblance to Sango was striking now that he had matured. He'd let his shaggy brown curls grow long, and pulled them back at the nape of his neck. What appeared to be the smallest trace of facial hair studded his lower jaw. However, his eyes had remained that same shade of bright brown.

And like his sister, he did not breathe a word. It was out of respect, Rin knew. The boy had idolized Sesshomaru. Hearing of his death must have dealt hard on him.

He didn't make a move to touch her, not even to hold her hand. Instead, he kept his clasped firmly in his lap with lips spread across his face into a firm, thin line.

Finally, after an eternity of just staring at each other, he rose to leave. Reaching the door, Kohaku turned back to give her one last look.

"If," he began, "If you … ever need any… help, I'll come back."

He was a sweet boy, Rin thought.

The only person who never darkened the doorway was Inuyasha.

This truly did not surprise her. Rin understood, however much the hanyou would deny it, the news of his brother's death had shaken him. He would be left to grieve on his own terms. Anyone who had not known the inuyoukai as well as the two of them had would never understand. Inuyasha, who often had cursed and fought Sesshomaru as frequently as Rin kissed and loved him, was still trying to get over the initial shock of him being… gone.

Gone.

Suddenly, Rin was curious about… where he was. She vaguely remembered someone mentioning that the _body _was here, in Edo. Could it be, maybe, he was in this very hut?

The thought bolted Rin upright.

If so, then she _must _see him.

Where she gathered the strength to lift herself from the futon evaded even her. It was very painful, walking with her hands pressed firmly to her lower back. She winced. How many days had she just lied there? Fumbling with the glass door, she finally managed to slide it open.

Several gasps echoed throughout the room.

"Rin! Rin-chan! Hiya, Rin!"

She ignored all the pleasantries. Conversation was the last thing on her mind. Rin had eyes for only one person, and there he sat cross-legged, holding Tessaiga, staring off at the opposite wall with a look of deep thought. His golden eyes flicked in her direction briefly before flashing back to the wall. His dog ears quirked.

Kagome tried to hand Rin some food, and truthfully, she was very hungry. The tad bits of meals everyone brought her had mostly been ignored. However appetizing the steamed vegetables and beef looked though, she refused it.

Her large chocolate brown eyes begged Inuyasha. Thankfully, he understood.

Standing, the hanyou fixed the fang to his hip, the red fire rat's robe rustling around him. Wordlessly, he motioned for Rin to head out the door.

Now everyone realized what was happening, and stopped their progressions instantly. Though she was their friend, who had refrained from brushing her hair, changing her kimono, even bathing, Rin was still a noblewoman. Respectfully, the company fell to their knees and bowed. She nodded in acknowledgement, following Inuyasha. The hanyou, for once, was patiently awaiting her.

He spoke first, once they had gathered enough distance between them and the hut.

"How?"

Straightforward he was, just like his brother.

Rin decided the most painless way to recount the death of her lover was to be as monotone as possible. And no specifics. He had fought valiantly, that was all that had to be known.

She did well, and Inuyasha listened carefully without once interrupting. Whether he knew what a hydra was, Rin couldn't be certain by the expressions that played across his face. Generally, they were of anger, particularly when he realized it was the pup that had been sought after, but his blank astonishment was clear when Rin told him it had been the souryuuha that had actually killed his brother.

"His own attack…" he murmured, "But how?"

Rin shrugged. That question had been frequently contemplated within her thoughts in the long days she had spent alone in her dark room, and she still didn't have an answer. Now she just didn't care.

Inuyasha looked at Tessaiga.

"That should've been impossible."

Interest flickered vaguely within Rin. "How so?" she asked.

The hanyou grasped the hilt of his fang. "He wields Tenseiga. It should've protected him, unless he wasn't wearing it."

He was met with silence.

"Rin?"

No… _this was all HER fault?_

"Rin?"

Sesshomaru had given her his fang, his only defense against potential dangers that stalked him wherever he went. _He could've been saved?_

"Are - ?" Inuyasha knew better than to ask if she was alright, because it was evident she wasn't. The haunted look crept back into her eyes. The question instantly died in his throat. So instead, he asked: "Would you like to see him now?"

"…Yes."

~oOo~

He was so beautiful. Even in death.

Seeing him, lying there, was almost too much.

Inuyasha had done this? For her? Rin would've thanked him if she could've found her voice.

He had taken her through the village, upon his back, to the shiro, a temple that sat at the highest point in Edo. Using his demonic speed, he easily jumped all the towering stone steps and landed carefully at the entrance. He glanced back at the pregnant woman, ensuring she was alright, before allowing her to slip her hands from his shoulders to stand on her own.

Once so eager to see him, now so hesitant, Rin slid the heavy wooden doors of the shrine open. Only a handful of times had she been in this particular room, the room of worship and prayer. Several times she'd join Kagome in sessions of meditation that she had always found relaxing. Her mate had regularly ventured up here as well, which she found very odd, as he was never a spiritual man. Maybe it was the gardens that encircled the shiro that brought him there; he'd always had a known fondness to look at pretty things (mostly Rin). Or, it could just be that the temple was secluded, far away from most of the other humans, unless they came for prayer. It was an ideal place for him to wait out a visit.

The large room was empty, as she had expected it, not even a picture in remembrance of the inuyoukai had been placed at the alter, but Inuyasha made a motion for her to continue on to a small alcove located in the back. Of course, as the husband of a priestess, he had access to such hidden places.

The second, much more enclosed room was dark and filled with the smoking fragrances of incense. It held a futon.

Rin's breath caught. Was she ready for this? Inuyasha urged her onward. She had to do it now, or else she'd never find peace in this life.

Her heart leaped to her throat.

Both Tenseiga and Bakusaiga lay on his chest. The cuts and slashes that had once adored his body had been cleaned and bandaged. His skin was smooth and clear as it use to, though his complexion maintained a look that was paler than normal. The clothes he wore were obviously not his own. They were white, as Japanese traditions called for, but were nowhere near as elegant as his noble's robes had been. The white fabric brought out the luster of his silvery hair, which immediately made Rin wonder, if days had passed since his demise, why was it he appeared… untouched?

The sutra scrolls placed at either side of him jumped out to her. Of course, to preserve the inuyoukai, Kagome must have placed them there. How kind of her.

At the foot of the futon was a table, decorated with a variety of blooming flowers and green plants. A candlewick burned singularly, on its own as the only light that was able to break through the thick sheens of incense smoke.

The expression on his face was fitting. There was none at all.

Nothing could have prepared Rin for this. Nothing. Somehow, she thought if she could kiss those cold full lips, perhaps they would become flushed with life again and respond to her. If she could just hold him, maybe everything will be okay.

~oOo~

The following of Rin's days were spent in the shiro.

This change in her behavior was encouraging in the eyes of Kagome, who often picked wildflowers that grew on the outskirts of the village. She gave them to Rin, who in turn used them to decorate his futon.

Tending to the body of her dead husband seemed to be the only thing that kept Rin alive. Everyone else respected that, though many questioned her claim on sanity, as being in so close a proximity with the dead was unhealthy. Inuyasha had explained Sesshomaru's death to Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Myoga, who upon hearing the rumors that the Western Lord ceased to exist, had scrambled across the country all the way to Edo. Only his brother would be able to confirm this.

"Yes, he is dead."

"By Kami…" Myoga glanced up in the direction of the temple, "Impossible! But he had the Tenseiga…"

"He didn't," Inuyasha said flatly, abruptly ending the conversation.

The flea stared down at the ground, muttering to himself. Rin suddenly appeared then, slowly climbing down the stone steps back to the rest of the village with her hands clasping firmly around her middle. His eyes bulged.

"Who is _that?_" Myoga leaped onto the hanyou's shoulder, pointing at Rin, "Was that a human visiting him?"

"That's his mate," Inuyasha said, impatiently, "Rin has grown since you last saw her… ten years ago."

"Kami," he muttered again, "_Her? _The little girl that used to follow him…you mean _her? _She's – she's beautiful! And… pregnant," His face flushed, "Just like his father…"

Inuyasha flicked the flea off his shoulder.

That same day, Jaken arrived.

After the imp accepted what his own large yellow eyes saw before him did he finally let the grief befall him. Together, he and Rin comforted each other in their painful sorrow.

But Jaken had not days to spend mourning, nor did Rin any longer. Political complications must be resolved.

"Rin," he said to her, on their way back to Kagome's hut after several long hours spent at the temple. Dinner was awaiting them.

"Hai?"

He glanced up at her uncomfortably, using his staff to help him maneuver down the large steps, "My Lady, allow me to introduce you to Reizo-san."

"Reizo?" her brow furrowed.

"At your service," said a velvety, smooth voice. Rin looked up, almost toppling backward from the closeness and sudden appearance of the intruder that now stood before her. A clawed hand reached out to steady her.

"Be careful, My Lady," the inuyoukai said calmly.

"Who are you?" she snapped, shooting a deathly glare at Jaken, "Do you know this demon?"

He nodded, "This is Reizo, Rin-sama. You've met him before."

Her brown eyes flashed back to the inuyoukai. He still didn't look familiar. Like all dog demons, he shared the glowing silver hair, though he had chopped and trimmed his short and neat. His eyes, instead of a molten amber color, were electric blue and very intimidating to look at. Rin felt exposed at the sharpness of his gaze. However, by the detailed stitching of the kimono he wore, the symbols and colors of the House of Inu, she could immediately place him.

"You're on the Western Council, aren't you?" she asked.

That brought a grin out of him, showing off an impressive set of pointed white fangs.

"Am I on the Western Council, you ask? Dear Lady, I am the Chief Minister of it!"

Suspicions began blooming in Rin's mind. Sesshomaru had never liked the Council, despite the necessities that came with it. He spoke to her of the deep frustrations demon politicians always gave him, usually over such trivial matters, and Rin's opinion of the members were never particularly high.

"If you would care to share your dinner with me, Lady Rin," Reizo bowed grandly, "There are certain matters that must be discussed before Sesshomaru-sama's body is returned to the West. A funeral and date of cremation must be set. Also," he glanced at her round belly, "A type of, unrest if you will call it, has engulfed your province. A figure of leadership must be restored immediately."

He said this much too fast, overwhelming Rin with the harsh reality of it all, she was to raise a hanyou and rule the West herself.

No, wait, she had the Council. Of course.

This was undoubtedly why Reizo was here. Rin realized, at this moment, she was under an evaluation. Her actions would determine how much power she would maintain.

The thought stiffened her back, and though the inuyoukai easily towered over her, she glared down on him. She raised her hand.

"Then do your lady a favor and escort her down to the miko's hut," she said curtly, "Jaken, run ahead and tell Kagome to set another plate for our guest."

~oOo~

**A/N: I apologize; it's been a MONTH since I update this. I had everything all planned out, but things have been pretty hectic. Luckily, summer is here, and updates should come faster now. Please, review, and tell me what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the tale of Susanoo and Orochi.**

**A/N: Thanks you guys! Your responses were so heartfelt! I'm glad you're really into this. As a reward for you're encouraging feedback, there is a special appearance of a certain **_**someone **_**you all love. Enjoy!**

**The True Master**

**Part III**

At first, the evening was strained with an obvious tension. The presence of the strange inuyoukai was unnerving, especially the icy coldness of his blue gaze.

Rin simply ignored him, acting very much in a manner she believed her mate would've in such unwanted company: aloof and indifferent. She ate in silence. When he began speaking of their departure the next day, she refused to even acknowledge he'd spoken at all.

Reizo was losing his patience with this human, damn if she was nobility!

"You _ARE _the Lady of the West!" he bellowed, after twenty minutes of seemingly talking to the walls, "You _MUST _return to your province!"

"It's of no use, Reizo-san," Miroku said, sipping his tea, "Lady Rin is not of the argumentative type. She'll leave whenever she wants to."

Reizo leaned back against the walls of the hut and crossed his long arms. Jaken sat beside him, uncomfortably fiddling with his food.

"Rin-sama must return with her husband's body _soon_. There's no telling what evil powers will try to obtain the throne during her absence. The funeral ceremony must have a date, as well as the immediate inauguration of the new Lord of the West.

"And who is this new 'lord'?" Kagome asked, setting a large tray of white rice on the table before them. Everyone hurriedly grabbed a bowl.

The inuyoukai picked up his chopsticks, "It has been arranged that the title and throne of the West remain within the Inu Family, as is stated by the all-powerful Master and Daiyoukai, Lord Toga Inu No Taisho."

Everyone glanced over at Myoga, who had taken to sitting on Rin's shoulder, relishing the thought of taking a sip of her blood. He flinched when he realized so many were watching him.

"Er… he would be correct," the flea said nervously. He had, after all, been the Great Dog Demon's vassal for hundreds of years.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Reizo snarled, "It is also written in Sesshomaru-sama's will that -"

"Whoa, wait!" Inuyasha held up a hand, "He had a _will?_"

Jaken glared and answered: "Of course, he did, you insolent Half-Breed! My Sesshomaru-sama had more enemies who wished for his death than even his mighty father! As already stated by Reizo-san; there is a tremendous uproar in the West."

"What does his will say?" Miroku asked curiously. Rin lifted her eyes from her bowl of rice, she too was curious at what Sesshomaru left for her, if he had always sworn to be with her forever.

Reizo reached a hand into his kimono, pulling out a thin sheet of parchment. His eyes met Rin's by accident. She looked away quickly.

"That's all there is to it?" Sango asked, leaning over the table to get a better look at it, "One sheet?"

"It has little to say," the inuyoukai answered honestly. He unfolded it, clearing his throat, and read aloud:

"_I, Lord Sesshomaru Inu No Taisho,_

_Of the Dog Demon Clan,_

_Hereby now ensure upon the day of my death,_

_Request all of my lands, my fortunes, and my inheritance_

_Be passed on to the sole reigning _

_Lady of the West_

_My mate,_

_Rin."_

Silence ensued.

"Rin-chan," Sango breathed, bringing them back to reality, "You really _are _a true noblewoman now."

"Congratulations," Kagome smiled at her. Rin bowed her head in thanks. She had already known of the will, though Sesshomaru had never spoken of it after its creation. With the life expectancy of a daiyoukai, usually thousands of years, it seemed almost obsolete.

Myoga shuffled uncomfortable on Rin's shoulder, "That can't be right," he murmured.

Everyone except Reizo and Jaken gave him a look of bewilderment.

"What the_ hell _do you mean by that?" Inuyasha asked with a mouthful of rice, "Are you saying that thing's a fake?"

Reizo held out the parchment.

"As you can see," he said, "The signature is genuine. This is Sesshomaru-sama's dying wish."

Myoga scoffed at it, "Why that dog… HE of all people should know better!"

"What are you talking about?" Rin asked, speaking for the first time, looking at the little flea on her shoulder with puzzlement.

"I mean no disrespect to you, Rin-sama," he sighed, "But you cannot rule the Western Lands. It's impossible," he glared at the inuyoukai, "You already knew that though, didn't you, _Chief Minister?_"

"I haven't seen you for years, Myoga," he smirked, "Not since the passing of the Master."

The flea glanced down at his feet, muttering under his breath.

Reizo's smirk widened.

"What have you been doing these past hundred years, besides not serving our Lord's heir? Instead, you run to his hanyou? What a dishonor."

"Listen here!" Myoga snapped, "I did only as our Lord requested, guard his tomb and guide his children to come to a union of peace! And, may I add, _unlike you_, I have succeeded!"

The inuyoukai and the flea glowered at each other.

"Pure circumstance," Reizo said disdainfully, "A lucky turn of events: _that _is what you consider fulfilling orders? _Nothing _on your part has ever contributed to such a union! Not _once _have you attempted to sway in your words of wisdom Sesshomaru-sama during his leadership! _Now why is that?_"

Myoga appeared flustered.

"Well… I never exactly found the opportunity, you see…" he glanced at Rin, who was staring at him with one raised brow, "The Master's son was a brilliant leader, I am sure! I never officially acquainted him, but I admired his strength from afar…"

"What a load of shit," Inuyasha spat, "Myoga, lying through your blood-sucking chops! We all know you thought Sesshomaru was evil incarnated."

Now he gave the hanyou a look of deep loathing, "Master Inuyasha, _you're not helping my case!_"

"Can we _please _get back to the matter at hand?" Rin said sharply, "_Why_, Flea, do you think that I am unfit to rule my mate's lands?"

Before he could respond, Reizo quickly answered: "Despite Sesshomaru-sama's wishes, the title to the West _must _be passed on to the next male descendant if the current heir is unable to rule. You are the heir, you are a woman, you cannot rule. Which means…"

All eyes turned to the hanyou.

"Hell," he murmured, mouth stuffed full with rice. He swallowed quickly, "You want _me, ME _to be Lord of the West? Feh, no thanks!"

"Believe me," Reizo said, his nose cringed in distaste, "I would much rather not recognize such an abomination as my new master. However, these are long term traditions that simply cannot be ignored. You _can't _say no. And on that same note, it is also stated, the Lady of the West must remarry."

A pause.

Jaken looked up at Rin, who was listening attentively, and saw she suddenly became very pale. He wanted to cross the table to comfort her, but a sudden outburst from the miko stopped him.

Kagome slammed her cup down and stood.

"_HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO HER?_" pointing an accusing finger at the youkai, "_HE – HE JUST __**DIED **__AND YOU'RE SAYING SHE HAS TO __**REMARRY?**__ THAT'S – THAT'S - !"_

Sango grabbed her arm.

"Calm down! Its tradition, Kagome! Rin knew when she mated Sesshomaru that if he died she'd have to uphold her duty as his lady. I don't know about your time, but this is how it has always been."

She pulled roughly out of the demon slayer's grip.

"That's horrible! Oh, Rin!" she gave the pregnant woman a sympathetic look.

Inuyasha pushed his empty bowl aside.

"Tradition huh?" he flicked his dog ears, studying Reizo with golden eyes, "So I guess I don't get a choice, right?"

"None whatsoever."

He leaned back against the wall, his head cocked to one side, thoughtful.

"Hell, I'll do it."

"_WHAT?" _Kagome yelped.

"Seriously, Inuyasha," Miroku snorted, "_YOU, _Lord of the Western Lands?"

"He has no choice," Reizo repeated, pointing at Sesshomaru's will, "It is ordered by his father."

"Chill, Kags," he sighed, closing his eyes to his mate, "I'll… I'll do it, to help Rin, but as soon as that pup is ready, I am _out_, ya hear?" he glared at the inuyoukai pointedly, "OUT!"

Reizo snatched the will up from the table, folding it neatly into the inside pocket of his kimono.

"Um… there is yet another issue we must discuss, before we leave. It concerns both you and Rin."

"I'll help raise the pup," Inuyasha said hastily, glancing over at his sister-in-law, "I know first hand how difficult it can be raising a hanyou, especially without his father."

"Of course you will," Reizo said, casting his eyes downward, "Yes, you will, because _YOU _have to marry Rin."

~oOo~

The chaos that ensued after that was exceedingly violent.

The two subjects of this matter merely stared at each other in mild astonishment. Myoga quickly explained to a very enraged Kagome (who was being held down from strangling Reizo by both Miroku and Sango) that it was all written in ancient Inu texts: If the reigning daiyoukai's mate is left widowed, then the next male in line, be it a brother, cousin, father, or uncle – the relation held little importance – was to marry his wife.

"All Japanese women carry a dowry," the flea cringed under the miko's deathly glare, "When they marry, the woman brings a sum of money that is left with her to the marriage. Rin's dowry _IS _the Western Province, according to Sesshomaru's will. In order for it to remain in the Inu Family, she must wed Inuyasha."

"Kagome," Miroku snatched the bow and arrow out of her grasp, "Killing Reizo-san isn't going to help the situation."

"HOW DARE HE SAY - !"

"Damn it!" the hanyou growled, breaking out of his haze of confusion. Rin looked back down at her bowl of rice, suddenly feeling very small and helpless. She retreated behind the hard shell of an emotionless mask.

Sango held the miko tightly around her waist.

"You're upset, Kagome! We get it! C'mon now, think about Rin, how she must feel. She doesn't want to marry Inuyasha anymore than you want her to!"

"_Obviously_, Sesshomaru wasn't planning on widowing her," Miroku said, "He'd murder Inuyasha before giving Rin to him."

"It's not fair!" Kagome sobbed, leaning into Sango's arms, "How can he just come here and ruin everything?"

Jaken fiddled with the hem of his robes, muttering to himself, "Sesshomaru-sama, why oh why did you have to leave us?"

~oOo~

Rin, as soon as she was sure everyone was focused on comforting the miko rather than herself, got up and retreated back into her dark room. She glanced once at Reizo who, she thought, seemed amused by the reactions of her friends. The Council, she remembered Sesshomaru saying, never hesitated to stir some form of trouble. Except now he wasn't there to clean their mess up after them.

She rubbed her large belly, smiling sadly at her baby. How she adored the little thing that grew inside her, she'd give it all the love she couldn't give its father.

"_Baby_," she cooed, rubbing it again, "Mommy loves you… so does Daddy. Daddy loves you _so _much."

The hanyou gentle kicked at the sound of her voice, making her grin broader. She knew she'd be delivering soon. Demon children grew much faster in the womb than humans. Still cradling her stomach, Rin collapsed upon her futon, hoping to escape this world of misery, at least for the moment.

~oOo~

Odd, Rin didn't remember undressing.

Yet here she was, her pregnant body exposed to the dark blanket of the night. Outside the room, all else was very quiet, not even the hanyou's snores could be heard. This was very peculiar, since the day of her arrival there was always someone in Kagome's hut at any hour of the night.

But her worry quickly erupted into full fledge fear as her fingers brushed against a warm figure lying beside her.

She screamed. A flash of silver hair caught in the moonlight, and her first thought was of Reizo. Two strong, callused hands pinned her back firmly against the futon, a long, muscular body hovered over her own, preventing any form of escape.

"_No!_" she cried, closing her eyes.

"_Maate_," he purred, licking the mark on her neck.

She squirmed, "What are you doing - ?"

A soft sigh, "Open your eyes."

She did.

"SESSHOMARU-SAMA!"

"Shh," he winced, his pointed elfin ears ringing, "Hush, Rin."

"YOU'RE – YOU'RE - !"

And then he bestowed her with a dazzling smile Rin had been absolutely certain she'd never see again.

She started to cry.

"Mate?" he licked her cheek, concerned, "What is it?" Releasing her shoulders, Sesshomaru placed one hand on her belly while stroking long brown strands out of her tear stained face, "Tell this Sesshomaru why you grieve."

Rin's fingers grasped his face, fumbling, trembling, tracing the blue crescent moon, the markings, and the minute slashes of magenta on the hood of his eyes. This handsome face was perfectly symmetrical, exactly how she remembered it, a straight nose, high, defined cheekbones, that strong angular jaw… her hands brushed his lips and, she wondered, if he were an angel now, would he taste just as sweet…?

His lips parted, suckling the tips of her fingers, though worry shows plainly in the amber flames of his eyes as his mate started bawling yet again.

Now, a little agitated, "This was not the welcome I was hoping to receive," he murmured, more to himself than her.

"Sessho!" Rin embraced his neck tightly.

"Why _are_ you crying?"

"Because…" she whimpered, "Because…"

He raised an arched brow.

"I DON'T WANT TO WAKE UP!"

Sesshomaru stared at her a long moment in bewilderment, taking the time to digest her reasoning. He nodded, "I understand. You do not believe that I exist."

"YOU CAN'T!" she sobbed, "I watched you _die_. I saw you in the shiro." Her fingers venture their way into his hair, "You're in there, right now, until Reizo…" she suddenly remembered, "Reizo is going to take you home tomorrow."

The softness in the inuyoukai's face suddenly hardened.

"_Rin_," he grasped her shoulders tightly, "I need you to listen to me. Stop crying, and _listen!_ You can't let _anyone _touch my body."

"So this IS a dream!" she wailed sadly.

Sesshomaru growled lowly, giving her a glimpse of his flashing white fangs, "_YES_, you are dreaming. But why on earth would that mean I am not _real?_"

**A/N: Cliffhanger! Thank you for reading; I've started the next chapter already.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**A/N: Thanks for all of your encouraging reviews!**

**The True Master**

**Part IV**

Rin appeared utterly exasperated, "I don't understand."

"This is not exactly how I wanted to go about it," Sesshomaru eased over onto his side, pulling the pregnant woman close, "I thought… maybe, we could enjoy each other's company first." He eyed her tear stained face, "Obviously not," and wiped them away with his thumb. "Mate, this Sesshomaru has been watching you for a long while now… I only regret not being able to come sooner."

"How…?"

"Hush, Rin," he said firmly, "You must listen, and this will be difficult for you to understand." Rin noticed the gentleness in his features fade away, leaving behind the grim stoic-ness of the mask the outside world had grown to know on him. She also noted he was naked, too, but the sudden color that lit her face was ignored.

"I was murdered," he said calmly.

"_Wha…?"_

One of his slender fingers pressed to her lips, effectively silencing her. He smiled ruefully, "I was murdered. It was _not _an accident."

"But Tenseiga," she murmured against his finger, "You gave it to me! It would've protected you!"

"That only means whomever did this knew I would ensure your safety before my own well being," he seemed to ponder his own words, "They were _hoping _I'd use the souryuuha, with my obvious ignorance to mythical creatures… you recall, I'm sure, the day I met you?"

"Yes," and the blood-curdling look he'd given her, the deep snarl that had warped his handsome face into what could have only been his enraged inner demon-self. Her very first sight of him, and she'd been entranced ever since.

"Certain circumstances occurred, in which the Half-Breed took me off guard in the extent of his power, and the Tenseiga sent me to you. Injured as I had never been before, but alive."

Rin frowned at his words.

"The pup inside me is half-demon, Sesshomaru," she stated curtly.

A clawed hand gently rubbed the area where his child grew, "I know, it's a habit that must cease, I suppose. My heir shall never hear the utterance of such a word." Then he was serious again, "But likewise, this is the case. I was taken off guard for yet a second time, however without the assistance of my father's fang, the hydra succeeded." His scowl deepened, "It was my ignorance that truly did it, but that creature was sent to intervene with our journey to Edo."

"Why?" Rin was in outrage, brown eyes flashing. Someone had been _plotting _to kill her mate? She would find who, she swore it!

"I do not know," he admitted, "But all that matters now is that _you _are alive. _You _survived, and for that, this Sesshomaru is honored to call you his mate."

Honestly, must he act so noble? If he were real, as he claimed to be, then instead of all this conversation he would just… her blush grew hotter.

"How do you know all this?" she asked timidly. After all, he'd been gone for days now.

Sesshomaru rested his head back into the pillows, content just to look at her. "I have spent a reasonable amount of my afterlife among the gods."

Rin's eyes bulged, "You mean the Kamis?" Extraordinary!

He nodded earnestly, "Amaterasu, the Goddess of the Sun, and her brothers, Tsukuyomi of the Moon, and Susanoo of Storms."

"Sesshomaru-sama…" This was honor beyond all else. According to legend, all the Emperors of Japan claimed to be direct descendants from the Sun Deity, hence ensuring their right to power. But to actually _see _the goddess herself… Rin was envious of her mate.

"Susanoo appeared first," he began, "He revealed to me it was not my time to die, that I was murder, as I suspected. As long as my body remains un-cremated, my soul would wander the earth as a restless spirit. Though this Sesshomaru would rather not admit, Susanoo pitied my fate, and established that I spend this one night to return to my beloved, to hold you again." The daiyoukai ran a claw down her cheek. "As soon as you awaken, I cannot return."

Stinging fear shot through her body. No! She wasn't going to let him leave her again! "Stay," she said firmly, grasping his shoulders tightly.

"I cannot," he kissed the white knuckles of her hand. "The Kamis have been tremendously generous to the likes of this Sesshomaru, if I intrude on their hospitality for longer than necessary, Amaterasu will not hesitate to send me to Hell." His amber eyes stared at her hesitantly. "Susanoo has composed a proposition, however. If I accept, I may come back, permanently. But perhaps that is not the best decision for you."

"Sesshomaru-sama!" she exclaimed, "I _want _you back! Your pup _needs _you! Accept his offer, and come back to me. Do you realize," her voice lowered, "That the Chief Minister of the Council, _Reizo _has proclaimed _Inuyasha _my new mate and lord?"

There was a long moment of silence.

"Sessho?"

He had closed his eyes, bending his neck so the long silver strands of his hair fell forward.

"Mate…?" She was worried now, and placed a hand on one of his bare shoulders.

"Listen to me," he said firmly, slowly lifting his face to her, the amber of his eyes tinting crimson. "The hanyou may be able to assist you, but do not let him believe Reizo that he must be the lord," Sesshomaru sighed, "If you wish to bring me back to this life, I can only assume my brother and his miko will try to help you in the difficult parts."

"What exactly do I need to do, Sesshomaru-sama? If Susanoo has offered you a proposition, then tell me!" Her large eyes were shining with vigilance, eagerness, _life. _The warmth and cheerfulness that had fled her after his death was slowly flooding back into her.

"Susanoo is willing to do a favor," he said, running a hand over her very pregnant belly. "Not for me, as I am youkai, but _you_." He readjusted his position beside her. "You can ask him for one wish."

"Of anything I desire…?" Rin brushed his striped cheeks questioningly.

Sesshomaru nodded. "In exchange, Susanoo asks you retrieve the blade Kusanagi No Tsurugi, the Grass Cutting Sword, which was stolen from him five hundred years ago."

Rin blinked, obviously confused. "Sesshomaru-sama, the sword Kusanagi belongs to the Human Emperor, it is a legendary object! Do you suggest that I raid the Imperial Palace?" She chuckled at the thought. "That is ridiculous."

Her smile faded when she realized the inuyoukai was serious.

"But Milord!" she protested, a little exasperated. "That's impossible! How can I, a mere human, a woman, and pregnant at that, _steal from the Emperor?_ It's treason! I'll be killed!"

"Not _that _sword, Rin," he said patiently, grasping her hand. "Susanoo wants Kusanagi, the one that is five hundred years in the past."

"And how do you propose I retrieve this sword, Sesshomaru-sama, when I am here, in the present?" Honestly, she had thought his explanation was to be half way reasonable! Maybe she really was just dreaming…

"I believe that is where the miko and my brother may assist you. The hanyou claims to possess the capabilities of time travel, perhaps he is lying, and it is really the girl's power. However, it is worth a try, for my sake, to ask them."

"Kagome-chan does not talk of her powers, but I will ask, Sesshomaru-sama." She kissed his lower jaw. "If it is only a sword Susanoo yearns for, in exchange for your life, then he shall have it!"

He liked the confidence that radiated from her like a demonic aura and, glancing down at the pup, Sesshomaru suddenly realized, she was indeed about to deliver! If Rin succeeded in this task, he should be back before she ever went into labor. The thought brought him inexplicable happiness, but he hid it well behind another stoic mask.

But he reached out to cup her right breast in one large hand, running his thumb over the rosy peak until iy stood, begging for more of his touch. Sesshomaru leaned over her, encasing them together by the curtain of his silver hair, planting the lightest of kisses on her lips. "I've… missed you, my mate."

Rin responded by opening her mouth to him, allowing the cool, moist flesh of his tongue to enter.

"Have you thought of a name?" he murmured between kisses, gripping both her shoulders, pressing her tightly to him. "It is almost time."

"Hm… no…" she was too focused on him to worry about anything else, and fisted large handfuls of his, wanting him deeper, inside her. "Stay," she breathed, sending a tremor racing down his spine. He may not have been in a physical body, _really _touching her, but it was real enough for him to want her…

A sharp, painful jolt shot through Sesshomaru, piercing through his consciousness like an arrow. He hissed menacingly, baring razor fangs at Rin, his claws holding her just a little too tightly.

"Sessho-?"

"My body," he growled, stiffening around her, scenting the air.

"What?"

"_My body!_" His eyes turned crimson. "_Someone is disturbing my body!_"

~oOo~

Reizo stepped from his hiding place, into the moonlight, leaving behind the dark confinements of the miko's hut and its inhabitants. They all slept so peacefully, especially the lady Rin. She he had ensured was deep in a blissful slumber, before slipping away, pulling on the hood of his cloak to hide the luster shine of his silver hair. Reizo had been afraid, also, of the half demon that also resided here, fearing he would hear of his midnight departure and decide to investigate. But upon checking on him as well, he found the hanyou was out cold with no hope of rising. How very excellent.

Reizo lifted his face to the moon, allowing the light to illuminate his pale features. This was the night. He would finally fulfill his master's orders. Everything was going exactly as he had been told.

"The fang…" he murmured, casting his electric blue eyes skyward. "Where is the fang? Oh, but with the body, of course." He grinned broadly. With the use of demonic strength and speed, Reizo needn't take the stone staircase all the way to the top of the temple; he cleared them all in a single bound of his powerful legs.

"The fang," he sniffed the air. "I can smell its aura." He heaved the wooden doors open, sweeping his eyes around the room of the shiro before spying the alcove that was located within the far corner. His nose led him through there.

"Ah!" He lit up in excitement. "Why, hello there, Sesshomaru-sama!"

The body of the deceased demon lord laid on a futon, decorated with the most gorgeous flowers the inuyoukai had ever seen. The only personal possessions that belonged to the daiyoukai rested on his chest: Bakusaiga and Tenseiga.

Reizo strode forth, gazing down at his lord with an air of cheerfulness.

"So," as he knelt down beside him, leaning one elbow on the futon. "Tell me, Sesshomaru-sama, how are you fairing, living with the dead?"

He waited approximately five seconds for an imaginary answer.

"Now, now, enough of that foul tongue of yours! So vulgar," Reizo chuckled darkly. "It had to be done. If you want someone to blame; then be it your father, Toga-sama." He sighed. "The lord was a fool, almost as immense a fool as you are, Sesshomaru-sama, but not quite." Brushing his silver bangs back away from his eyes, "How does it feel, to know that it is your father's arrogance that you are dead? A shame, really, he did not think my master would achieve his revenge in one way or another. Toga-sama may be dead, but his son lived, my master would not have that. He only regrets not being the one to kill the mongrel. And you, Milord, _I _took care of you quite easily. Your father might've perished in the same manner had it not been for that _damn _girl." Reizo's blue eyes brightened. "I met your lovely wife today, Sesshomaru-sama. She's exactly the weak little scrap of a ningen I envisioned you to mate with." He leaned onto his other elbow. "I imagine that you must miss her terribly. No matter, she shall join you in the Underworld soon enough. I shall first cut out the abomination that grows within her womb, and the three of you will be burned together. Is that not romantic?"

He waited for the response he knew would not come.

"If only your sword was as sharp as your tongue, Sesshomaru-sama." Reizo pulled off his hood, rising onto his knees. "Perhaps then you might have survived the hydra. And speaking of sword…" His eyes landed on Bakusaiga, gazing at it longingly. "I am very tempted…" The inuyoukai reached out; hovering a clawed hand over the hilt. "Mine…"

"No!" he told himself sharply, pulling away. "No, I must not! My master wishes for Toga's fang. The fang…" He looked to one side. "The Tenseiga." Suddenly he was thoughtful. "Master says it really can resurrect the dead. How extraordinary, exactly why I must _destroy Tenseiga._" His gaze drifts back to Sesshomaru's face. "We cannot have you coming back to life and starting trouble now, can we? You'll only get in our way."

Reizo paused a moment.

"Enough of this! Give me your fang!" He grasped the hilt tightly, tearing it mercilessly from Sesshomaru's dead hold.

Immediately rejecting the wielder who was obviously not its master, and sense its impending doom, the Tenseiga emitted a bright, burning white power, scorching the offending clawed hand that held it.

"_DAMN!_" Reizo quickly tossed the sword away from him. Tenseiga soared across the alcove before hitting the opposite wall, falling lifeless to the floor.

"Damn," he panted, clutching his injured hand. The pale skin had swollen an ugly red color, incredibly painful no matter how little he moved it. "My master will not be pleased."

"Hey!" a voice called from the main entrance of the shiro. It matched that belonging to the hanyou. Impossible, he had been sound asleep not ten minutes ago!

"It's Reizo!" that was Lady Rin.

"Rest well, Sesshomaru-sama," he hissed. "I know you have something to do with this. I'll be back."

Still nursing his claw, Reizo kicked the nearby glass window out, shattering it loudly before leaping out to be engulfed by the darkness of the night.

**A/N: To all you people out there who are history freaks like me, this story is LOOSELY based off of the tale of **_**Susanoo and Orochi**_**, and is NOT always historically accurate, because I change certain things. Hope you all enjoyed. Sorry if it all doesn't make sense yet.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**A/N: A short, but long overdue chapter. I needed to get the plot moving along!**

**The True Master**

**Chapter Five**

Inuyasha watched, with silent chagrin, as two women scrambled around the hut, Kagome with her giant yellow backpack and Rin, an old satchel she'd found hidden in the corner of her bedroom. The hanyou could see that their luggage was becoming heavier with each passing moment, not that he was worried about carrying anything. Why was it that women felt the impulse to bring along the entire hut? He had doubts that they would be getting through the well anyway. If by some miracle they did, Inuyasha was not planning any extensive stay in another era. Being in Kagome's world was unnerving enough, with its loud noises and strange devices. If the three of them were to make a journey to the past, he wanted to get the job done that very day.

Fat chance.

Myoga the Flea was nowhere to be found. No surprise. One of the few times they could have used his advice the lowly coward vanishes, probably to ensure he did not have to tag along. Kagome had not used the well in a number of years since her return to Sengoku Jidai. There were several instances where she would visit her family in modern Tokyo, but gradually felt with each passage it was becoming increasingly more difficult to go through. Then there came times when the well would not permit passing at all. On her last visit home Kagome said goodbye to her family, permanently. The well sealed itself afterwards.

As anyone could see, Inuyasha did not have much hope it would work again. But now they had a reason for it. Just like Kagome had been destined to help defeat Naraku and search for the Shikon Jewel shards, Rin needed to deliver Susanoo's sword. The hanyou still felt it was a long shot that _Sesshomaru_ had appeared to his mate in a _dream_, on the order of a _Kami_ for such a dangerous mission. Something did not feel in place, but Rin was so eager to leave he had not the opportunity to think of a good reason why they should stay.

Other than that, Rin was pregnant. She easily brushed that particular argument aside. Like him, she was not planning on spending very long on the other side. It would still be awhile yet before she delivered her pup. Kagome was also going with them, who now had several years training as a proficient midwife. Rin was not concerned about her physical condition.

While he waited for the women to finish packing, Inuyasha made a quick review of what he knew about Kusanagi, perhaps something that could give them a lead on the whereabouts of the sword.

Unlike Tessaiga and Tenseiga, it was not a demon fang, but a katana that can only be wielded by a god. The petty humans that claimed to be descendants of Amaterasu were probably lying, or the sword they thought they possessed was a fake. Either scenario was possible, or even both. Kusanagi was a gift from Susanoo to his sister. No one knows how it was forged or from where, but directly after its discovery a demon had stolen it. Rumors have it since disappearing in and out of history, but the so-called "genuine" piece presently resided in the Imperial Palace of the emperor.

Once they went through the well, they were estimating about five hundred years in the past, the trio would have to find the blacksmith that forged Kusanagi. This would be the hardest part. Then, it was only a matter of ensuring that the demon does not steal the sword from them. Inuyasha was fairly confident in his abilities as a fighter, and with the combined strength of the Tessaiga, it should not be too difficult to keep him at bay.

They would just have to have faith that Susanoo will appear to them and grant Rin her wish of bringing Sesshomaru back to life. For some reason Inuyasha felt there was something very sketchy about this whole arrangement. First of all, because they were going off of a _dream _Rin had, and given her pregnant condition, none of this could be of any relevance at all.

He was also concerned about the sudden disappearance of Reizo. Whatever he had been doing in the shrine was definitely suspicious. Miroku and Sango volunteered to keep a watch on… the body, and an eye out for the mysterious inuyoukai. He was bound to stir up more chaos.

"Inuyasha, are you ready?" the voice of his wife called from the doorway. "Rin's going to leave you behind if you don't c'mon!"

"Feh." He climbed carefully to his feet. "She might not even be able to get though on her own." In fact, he was half hoping she wouldn't. A woman who looked two seconds away from popping shouldn't make a dangerous trek like this.

Kagome smiled at him, knowing exactly what must be on his mind. He cared for his sister-in-law as family should.

The two of them left the darkness of the hut into the warm summer sunshine of midday. Miroku greeted them at the exit; meanwhile Sango was tending to her little ones, scolding a boy for pulling his sister's pigtails.

"Will you three be back soon?" Miroku asked, clutching one of his youngest daughter's hands. He was looking particularly at Rin, who walked about regally in her elaborate white kimono. She stopped wearing the noblewoman's garb immediately following her mate's death. Today; however, she wore the finest silks money could buy.

The Lady of the West grinned. There was still no sign of the pure happiness she had once held in her doe brown eyes, but in the least there was a steady beat of life and hope that restored the color in her cheeks.

"We'll take as long as we must," she answered quietly. Gesturing to the miko and hanyou, she began the trek through Inuyasha's Forest, to the location of the well. Sango and Miroku bowed respectfully as she walked past, and then turned abruptly to glare at their children as they took off the moment their parents' backs were turned.

Inuyasha made a move to take the lead, but then thought better of it. Rin was of a higher status now; it might appear insulting to her if he tried to walk in the front. So instead he hung back with Kagome.

"Do you really believe this is handling the situation?" he asked, crossing his arms. "If the well even works, how do we know it will take us to the past?"

Kagome chose stare at her sandals in reply, as she could not think of a reasonable reply. Still, in her mind she was lost in the thought that if this _doesn't_ work, Rin and Inuyasha would be married, and everything they had striven to build in their life after the death of Naraku would be for nothing…

A rustling sound from the trees saved her from answering. Inuyasha swiftly grasped the hilt of Tessaiga, sniffing the air attentively. The lowest growl escaped from his throat. "Reizo, that bastard."

" He's here?" Kagome looked around the forest with sharply narrowed eyes. "I thought he ran away."

"Well, apparently not!" Inuyasha snarled, scanning the vicinity. "Alright, c'mon out! We know you're spying on us, you fleabag!"

More rustling of leaves.

"Where's Rin? We have to warn her!" Kagome brandished an arrow.

Inuyasha started spinning in circles. "He won't stop moving… really fast…!" He gnashed his fangs in frustration. "What's he trying to pull…?"

"I'm going to find Rin," Kagome left her husband chasing after Reizo, his swearing echoing high and low. While she ran, her arrow was pulled back in its bow, posed to release at the slightest detection of a threat. Upon living in the Feudal Era full time, she had gain the reputation of the village's Master Archer, surpassing even Kikyo. If anyone was responsible enough to protect Rin, it was Kagome.

Her long stride followed the familiar trial she used to walk so often. The Bone-Eater's Well… her gateway to the future… was just around this corner…

She let out a sigh of relief. Rin was there, sitting on the ledge with her feet dangling. The pregnant woman's hands were cradling her fully belly, thoughtful.

"Where is Inuyasha-kun?" she asked, lifting her head to the miko.

Kagome was panting, trying to catch her breath. "Reizo's back. Inuyasha said he would deal with him quickly. Okay, do we have everything we need? Let me see what's in your satchel-"

"Look out!" Rin yelled, grasping the sleeve of her kimono and tugged her aside.

Kagome lost her footing and fell face first in the grass. "Hey, what was that for… ?" She lifted herself off the ground, "OH MY GOD, RIN!"

The Lady of the West sat on the edge of the Bone-Eater's Well, her small chin held defiantly in the air as she tried to lean away from the glistening sharpness of a silver dagger, a dagger that was held by a long arm, an arm attached to a blue eyed inuyoukai.

"I cannot take Tenseiga, but I'll finish you!" he snarled, drawing back to strike.

Rin acted only on instinct, her newfound will to live. And her trust in Sesshomaru.

She pushed herself backwards and fell down the well.

"RIN!" Kagome shrieked, picking up her weapon. What if she reaches the bottom and …?

Reizo did not hesitate to throw himself over, too. "…Kill you… !"

"NO!" Kagome leaped onto the wooden ledge and shot an arrow down after him. Hopefully the purification would take effect before he reached Rin…

There was the sound of the arrow embedding itself in the ground.

They were both gone.

~oOo~

"Gods!" Rin panted, clinging to the stone walls. What had happened? It was as if… she'd passed through some sort of barrier made of water. She vaguely remembered seeing Reizo with her, but no matter how hard he lunged; his dagger fell just inches away from her, leaving her skin unscathed.

If the inuyoukai had passed through, then where was he? On the other hand, perhaps she should be thankful for his absence.

Rin squinted her eyes, gazing up the well. It didn't look like she'd gone anywhere. How was she to get to the top? Inuyasha was supposed to help her; maybe she should just wait for the others to arrive.

A figure blocked out the sun, casting a shadow down on her.

Her eagerness to leave this dirty, dark hellhole overrode her fear of an enemy.

"Hello?" Rin called up, cupping her hands around her mouth, "Can you help me? I, uh, I fell!" It was the truth.

The person at the top seem to silently deliberate her request, and then their silhouette leaped inside.

It was a man, or more correctly, a demon. He landed lightly beside her with a lithe, graceful manner that seemed very familiar.

Her brown eyes quickly scanned him over, now that he was in so close a proximity. The demon was towering over her with his height, and his frame was distinctly lean with a toned, rugged built to it. Even with the little assistance from the sun, Rin could clearly make out the silver hair that flowed down his back in a free flowing motion, and two captivating amber irises that seemed to glow a hard cold and stoic disposition…

"Sesshomaru," Rin whimpered, tears stinging her eyes as trembling hands grasping her mouth. It was like he had come back from the dead!

The demon tilted his head to one side, scrutinizing her with those very same eyes.

"My Sessho, I've missed you-!" Rin made a move to touch him.

The point of a very sharp sword halted her advances. And she recognized this blade almost instantly.

"Tessaiga…"

Suddenly the demon spoke, the sound of rich, deep vocals deafening to her human ears:

"Do not insult me by mistaking my appearance for that of this 'Sesshomaru' you speak of, Woman." It was low, a little more than a growl. "Bow to your Lord of the West, Toga Inu No Taisho!"

~oOo~

**A/N: I don't know if anyone saw that coming, but if you thought it was Sesshomaru who was going to be waiting for her, I did a little change up on you. (^_^) Toga is essential to the plot and bringing his son back to life. If anything confuses you in this chapter, it'll become clear later on. At least I hope. Thank you all for being so patient with me! A special shoutout to cinderelladreaming, you made sure to give me regular reminders that I needed to work on this story. This is for you!**


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